Submitted by Frank Macey on
Apple Pay has nudged out its competitors in a head-to-head contest at the offices of Consumer Reports. Despite the fact that Apple Pay is only available on Apple devices, it scored higher in several categories that Consumer Reports designed to "help people make informed choices". Apple Pay took top honors overall in the ratings, which focus on data privacy and security.
Submitted by Frank Macey on
There's been much ado over nothing when it comes to differences between the white and black iPhone 4 lately. The most hyped involves an alleged increase in depth on the white model, listed in Apple's official specifications as 0.37 inches (9.3 mm). The depth, otherwise known as thickness from front to back, was widely reported to be 0.2 mm thicker than the black iPhone 4.
Apple has been criticized for not indicating the difference in its technical specifications, and users everywhere are fretting that iPhone 4 cases won't fit the white model properly. The only problem is that the difference in thickness is an illusion. Consumer Reports never shies away from an Apple controversy, and they promptly put the white iPhone 4 through rigorous testing with high-quality calipers.
Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
The independent magazine Consumer Reports is warning Verizon customers to "mind the gap" on the left side of their iPhone 4. They have tested the device and determined that the Verizon model iPhone 4 is prone to the same reception issues and dropped calls as the AT&T version they tested last summer. The problem occurs in areas with weak signals when the phone is held a certain way.
Gripping the left side of the iPhone 4 and bridging the black antenna gap on the lower left side of the device lowers performance and can drop calls in these weak signal areas due to signal attenuation. The problem was widely reported on the AT&T network and Apple offered free Bumper cases to affected users. Consumer Reports, reporting on their Electronics Blog, stated that an Apple Bumper case alleviated the problem.
